Jury issues guilty verdict for drug possession case

District Attorney Casey Polhemus reported a jury found Brian Lee Bassham guilty of third-degree felony possession of a controlled substance during a trial last week.
At the conclusion of all the evidence, the jury deliberated for about one hour on Oct. 30 and returned a guilty verdict on the 57-year-old Chico man.
Bassham elected to have the court assess punishment. The next day, District Judge Jack McGaughey assessed five years imprisonment, with the sentence being suspended for five years while on community supervision, along with a fine of $2,000 and 30 days in the county jail.
The charge stems from an Aug. 18, 2017 burglary in progress incident. Montague County Sheriff Deputies Andrew Miller and Brandon Fischer responded to a possible burglary in progress at 598 Aujla Road.
At the scene, deputies encountered Brian Lee Bassham and Sheryll Crawford. During the investigation, a baggie containing almost four grams of methamphetamine was discovered on the tailgate of the vehicle claimed by Bassham.